When Iย rst locked myself in, I could hear the low rumble of people working in the hallways. I occasionally had to hold my breath when someone would come into this supply closet. Now, everything has been silent for so long that Iโve begun wondering if itโs safe for me to take a chance at coming out.ย ๎ขere are no windows, no way for me to measure how long Iโve been down here. I think of that pocket watch that the consul had, how just knowing the time of day is a luxury they arenโt aware of.
It feels like hours.
I sneak to the door and press my ear against the wood. Silence. Absolute silence.
It still takes a while for me to gather the courage to open the door. Everything feels di๏ฌerent now. Earlier, I was burning with rage and exhaustion, full of exhilaration from being able to get into the palace so easily.
Now, my thoughts have caught up with me, and all thatโs le๎ย is panic that Iโll be discovered and Wesโs body will have some company along the gate.
My stomach rumbles, and my body alerts me that I have needs that havenโt been addressed in hours.
I need to get out of the palace.
Finally, I pull at the latch, and the door swings open.
๎ขe hallway is empty and dim; only a fewย ickering lanterns are lit at either end.ย ๎ขe few windows I can see are pitch-dark. It must be very late.
Good.
No, not good. When I reach the end of the hallway, I discover that the door at the end is padlocked shut.
Well, of course it is. Itโs the middle of the night, and the day laborers have gone home.
Voices suddenly echo down the hallway, and I duck into the room where the girls were changing earlier. My heartbeat is a steady thrum in my ears. Shadows appear in the doorway, and I bolt for the back half of the room.
๎ขereโs nowhere to hide.
๎ขere. A door in the corner. It must be another storage closet. I grab hold of the handle, whisper a prayer that itโs not locked, and yank it wide.
Itโs not a closet. It leads to a lush staircase with red velvet carpeting and walls painted with a fancy hunting scene.ย ๎ขe steps seem to lead to a hallway at the top.ย ๎ขe lights blaze brightly, but the air is heavy and quiet.
๎ขat said, in my homespun skirts, I deย nitely wouldnโt be invisible here, at this time.
Iโm frozen in place and not sure what to do or where to goโbut I deย nitely canโt stay here in this stairwell. Part of me wants to dive right back through that door and into the changing room, but another part of me worries that those people will be there again, and Iโll be walking right into discovery.
I need to move. Up I go.
At the top, I peek around the corner, but Iย nd nothing. No guards, no one at all here, but I tiptoe forward regardless. My feet are practiced at sneaking, and I long for my mask and hat.
At the end of the hall, I peek around both corners, and again I see no one. I have no idea which direction is the correct way out of here, but based on how I got in here, heading right should take me toward the back part of the palace.ย ๎ขough the walls andย ooring are more opulent here, this is clearly a servantsโ passageway. Maybe I canย nd another staircase and sneak back down to another area that wonโt be padlocked. Maybeโjust maybeโIโllย nd where the Moonย ower leaves are stored.
Maybe you canย nd the king and end his tyranny.
๎ขe thought hits me so hard and fast that it pulls me to a stop. Iโm alone.
๎ขis passageway is unguarded. I couldย nd the king, and I could end his life. But as badly as I want to avenge my parents and Wes, I canโt bring my feet to move. Iโve spent the last few years risking my life to save others. I donโt know if I could look down at someoneโeven the king or his brotherโand
kill him.
I think of those daggers driven into Westonโs eyes. Nothing stopped that. Not even me.
I swallow, my throat tight.
I wouldnโt even need to do something violent.ย ๎ขereโs enough powder in my bag to lace the kingโs water pitcher if I wanted to.
Still, my feet wonโt move. I think of Wes standing in the workshop, declaring that he wasnโt a smuggler, that he wasnโt doing this to line his own pockets.
Iโm not a killer.
๎ขe instant I have the thought, I can breathe again. My parents risked their lives to save othersโand so do I.
Iโmย notย a killer. I heal people; I donโt harm them.
A door a short distance away opens, and a man steps through. He looks to be in his early twenties, with vibrant red hair, a scru๏ฌย of beard growth on his jaw, and a half-buttoned green brocade jacket. Heโs carrying several books and papers, and heโs reading one of them as he steps through the door.
For half an instant, I think heโll turn the other way without seeing me, that somehow my bizarre luck will continue. But his eyes li๎, and he startles so hard that a few papers dri๎ย from the stack.
I take a step back and put up a hand. โIโIโm sorryโIโโ
โGuards!โ His expression has quickly shi๎ed from surprise to alarm. He drops his books and throws open the door he just came through, but he doesnโt take his eyes o๏ฌย me. โGuards! Secure the king! Secure the princeโโ
โNo!โ I cry. โNoโyou donโtโthis wasโthis was a mistake . . .โย Run, Tessa. Westonโs voice is like a whisper in my ears.
I dig my feet into the velvet carpeting and run.ย ๎ขe stairs are behind me, but they only lead to a padlock, so I run directly at the red-haired man. He tries to grab me, but I throw a punch right at the base of his rib cage, and his grip slackens.
Iโm loose and Iโm running, and Iโm about to burst through theย rst door I see. I thought my heart was pounding before, but now itโs sprinting in my chest, pulling me forward.
Two other doors open, and guards appear in front of me, weapons drawn. It startles a short scream out of me. My feet skid on velvet.ย ๎ขere are too many of them. I donโt even have time to fall on the carpet before two of
them have a hold on my arms, and theyโre dragging me upright.
๎ขeyโre going to kill me.ย ๎ขeyโll do it right here. Daggers will be plunged into my ears or theyโll cut o๏ฌย my head or theyโll burn me in pieces while I
watch. Iโve heard the stories. Iโve seen what happens to traitors and smugglers. My breathing is a panicked rush that wonโt let me speak. My vision goes spotty for a long moment, and I think Iโm going to pass out. In a way, itโs a relief. I donโt want to be conscious. I donโt want any of this to happen. But my body still has needs, and the only thing keeping me from wetting myself is the idea that I want to die with some shred of dignity.ย ๎ขe stars in my vision clear.
๎ขe man with red hair steps in front of me, but heโs looking at the guards. โSearch the palace. She canโt be working alone. Is the king secure?โ
๎ขe one pinning my right arm nods. โYes, Master Quint.โ
โIโm alone,โ I gasp, and my voice is nearly a keening wail. โIโm alone.
Please. Please. Please.ย ๎ขis was a mistake.โ
โItโll do you little good to beg from me.โ Heโs not even looking at me. โSearch her things. Take her to the throne room. Iโll speak to Prince Corrick.โ
Prince Corrick. My muscles go slack. Fear wins, leaving no room for humiliation.
Master Quint glances down, sees that Iโve soiled the velvet carpeting, and sighs. โIโll also send someone to clean that up.โ
 |
My underthings are wet and I can smell urine, but the guards have chained me tightly and le๎ย me lying facedown on the cold stoneย oor of what must be the throne room. I expected to be beaten and broken by now, but while they havenโt been gentle, the guards have been practical and e๏ฌcient, chaining my wrists behind my back with practiced ease and then lowering me to the ground to wait.
My breath shakes and shudders against the stoneย oor, but the guards say nothing and do nothing.ย ๎ขis uncertain waiting is the worst torture.
No, surely the worst torture is yet to come.
I was so foolish. Wes would never let me hear the end of this. Maybe Iโll
nd him in the a๎erlife, and heโll roll his eyes at me and say, โLord, Tessa. You really did need me around, didnโt you?โ
Fresh tears squeeze free of my eyes.
I hear light footsteps approach, and I try to curl in on myself. I donโt want to be afraid. I want to rage andย ght, but Iโm pinned in place, and thereโs nowhere to go. My eyes clench closed. โNo,โ I say, and my voice sounds broken and raw. โPlease. No.โ
โYou have nothing to fear from me, girl.โ Itโs a womanโs voice, her tone landing somewhere between frustrated and disappointed. When her footsteps come closer, I peek up, and Iย nd myself looking at a stunning brown-skinned woman in aย oor-length emerald-green gown. โI canโt speak for anyone else in the palace, however.โ
โ๎ขis was a mistake,โ I say to her. โI didnโtโI donโt know what I was doing.โ
โItโs di๏ฌcult to mistakenlyย nd yourself in the middle of the palace at midnight,โ says a harsh male voice, and I clench my eyes closed again.ย ๎ขe words are so cold and edged that a chill grabs hold of my spine.
Another man speaks with the deferential authority of a guard. โWe have searched the palace, Your Highness. We found nothing else amiss.โ
Your Highness.ย ๎ขat must mean Prince Corrick.
I was so stupid. I stood there and told Wes that we shouldnโt keep hiding, but now thatโs all I want to do.
๎ขe woman straightens and says, โSheโs just a girl. Clearly not a trained assassin.โ
โYou donโt think girls are capable of violence and treachery, Consul?โ Booted feet step closer, but heโs behind me, so I canโt look at him. His eyes were pools of black from across the square when he was going to execute the eight prisoners. I donโt want to see what they look like up close. Iโll do worse than wet myself.
โHow did she get in here?โ he says.
โWe donโt know.โย ๎ขe guard sounds a bit hesitant now. โWe have not been able to discover her point of entry.โ
โWhat are you doing here?โ
It takes me a moment to realize that cold voice is speaking to me, and itโs clearly a moment too long because the prince grabs hold of my hair and pulls tight. โAnswer me.โ
It draws a squeak out of my throat. โI donโt knowโI donโt knowโโ His grip turns painful. โStop saying you donโt know.โ
Iโm not sure if itโs the command in his voice or the grip on my hairโor possibly just the sheer hatred I have for this manโbut I grit my teeth and choke back my tears. My voice comes out like a broken whisper. โYou killed .
. . you killed my . . .โ
โWho did I kill?โ He says the words without any emotion.
I was wrong before. I should have tried to poison this man. I would be doing the world a favor. A tear slips down my face. โMy friend.โ
โWhatโs your name?โ
I hold my breath. I wish he would just kill me and get it over with. Iโm shaking so hard Iโm sure he can feel it through his grip on my hair. I feel like such a coward, but itโs impossible to be brave.
His grip tightens until Iโm sure hairs are beginning to pull free. โYour name.โ
I donโt want to give it to him. All of Wesโs warnings to protect my identity are rattling around in my head. But Iโm dying, so surely it doesnโt matter.
โTessa.โย ๎ขe word is almost forced out of my mouth.
๎ขe woman speaks again. โHow desperate does someone have to be to challenge your laws? If you kill everyone who holds a grudge against your actions, Prince Corrick, your brother will have no subjects le๎.โ
He lets go of my hair and steps back. I canย nally turn my head, but all I can see are his polished black boots.
โYou overstep, Consul Cherry,โ he says, and somehow, his voice is colder.
Darker.
โDo I?โ
โWhat would you have me do? Should I send every assassin on their way with a bag of silver and some sugared pastries for their trouble?โ
To my surprise, the woman laughs. โ๎ขis girl was clearly not any threat to anyone in this palace,โ she says. โYour guards found no weapons.โ
โ๎ขey found ground powders in her satchel,โ he says. โDo you suppose she was here toย avor Harristanโs tea?โ
Any laughter fades from her voice. โYou attempted to execute eight people, and there were calls for revolution in the streets. If you hang a pretty young girl from the gates, I believe you will be dealing with more than you bargained for.โ
Heโs quiet for a long time. So long that I can tell he is thinking, and a new chillย nds its way through my veins.
โFine,โ he says, and his voice is resigned. โIโll leave her alive.โ
All the breath leaves my lungs in a rush. I donโt know if this is worse or better.
โShould we take her to the Hold, Your Highness?โ says one of the guards. โNo,โ says Prince Corrick. He sni๏ฌs at the air, and I cringe, wanting to curl
in on myself again. โHave one of the stewards clean her up. Leave her in chains. Tie a sack over her head so Consul Cherry no longer has to see that sheโs aย pretty young girl.โ
My blood turns to ice. I canโt think. I canโt see. I canโt breathe. โYour Highnessโโ Consul Cherry begins.
โYou asked me to leave her alive,โ he snaps. โAnd so I will. Chain her in my chambers. Alive or dead, she can send a message that traitors are swi๎ly dealt with.โ
โNo.โ I donโt know if I say the word or only think it. I didnโt think he could do anything worse than what he did to Wes, but he can. Almost subconsciously, my body tries to draw away from him. โNo.โ
โYour Highness,โ Consul Cherry says more urgently. โWhat are you going to do?โ
โIโm sure you canย gure it out,โ he says. His booted feet are moving away. โGuards. You have your orders.โ
โNo!โ I scream a๎er him as the guards take hold of my arms. I brace against the chains but it does no good. โNo!โ
All I see is the black of his jacket as heโs walking away.
I spit in his direction. I mean for my voice to be strong, but it sounds broken and weak. โI hate you.โ
โEveryone does,โ he says.
๎ขe guards haul me up, and mercifully, I pass out.
